Delegation, Standard Systems, and Finding the Right Whos

While out on a jog, I found myself reflecting on an idea that has transformed both my business and personal life. It comes from the book Who Not How by Dan Sullivan. The core principle is simple but powerful: stop focusing on how to solve every problem yourself and instead ask who is the right person to help. If you want to multiply your performance and achieve more, you need to find the right whos.

This idea has shaped the way we operate at Elevate. Over the last several years, we have built an incredible team. We now have a chief financial officer in the making, a lean sales and marketing lead who is fantastic, and a people development team that is doing remarkable work. I also have a personal assistant who edits, organizes, and keeps me moving forward. Each of these people has become one of the right whos, and the difference in my life and workload has been dramatic.

But finding the right people is only part of the equation. The other half is creating standard systems that allow them to succeed. Early on, my instinct was to jump in and do things myself. For example, when I recorded an episode for our Takt Construction blog, the file came back without the intro and outro. My first reaction was to fix it myself, it would have been quicker in the moment. But then I reminded myself of the bigger principle: every time I take an extra 10 or 15 minutes to teach someone how to do the task and document the process, I save myself hours and hours in the long run.

So instead of doing it myself, I exported the intro and outro, gave instructions, and trained my assistant on how to upload it. It was slightly inconvenient at the time, but now it is fully automated. That one decision multiplied my time and freed me up to focus on what I should be doing.

This same approach has allowed me to offload editing and posting of blogs, creating YouTube descriptions, scheduling social media posts, organizing sales calls, and even managing boot camp waivers through DocuSign. Each time I delegate and set up a system, I create capacity not only for myself but also for the person who is taking on the responsibility. They learn, grow, and become more secure in their role. Everyone benefits.

Too often, leaders resist hiring a personal assistant or delegating tasks because it feels faster to just do it themselves. And that may be true in the moment. But over time, doing everything alone is a trap. The truth is, once you find capable people, it becomes easier to delegate more. It requires the discipline to slow down, spend a little extra time, and automate, but the payoff is enormous.

This principle extends far beyond business. In my own family, I have learned to identify the whos that make life manageable and fulfilling. We have cleaners who come twice a week, a landscaping service, an accountant, an insurance broker, a lawyer, and a financial advisor. These are all whos who take tasks off my plate so that I can focus on my purpose, my work, and my family.

When I look closely at my life, I realize that I probably have around 80 different whos who help me succeed. And the truth is, I am nothing special. Anyone can do this. Delegation is not about luxury, it is about creating space for what matters most.

The payoff goes beyond productivity. By delegating and automating, I have been able to create more time to spend with my kids, to write, to exercise, to enjoy family breakfasts and outings, and to live with more balance. The old idea that working harder and longer is the only path to success is simply not true. You can accomplish more while working less if you find the right whos and set up systems that work.

At the end of the day, the only people who will remember you stayed late at work are your kids and your family. The work will always be there, but the moments with the people you love will not. By delegating and creating systems, you free yourself to live fully in the present. And the present is the only reality we truly have.

On we go.

Key Takeaway
Stop trying to do everything yourself. Find the right whos, set up standard systems, and delegate so you can focus on what only you should be doing.